The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Most of us learn to fear failure and avoid it at all costs. During our quest for financial freedom, however, we’ll encounter plenty of failures. Usually, we learn from them and move on. Sadly, the fear of failure is also used as a convenient excuse ...

Who hasn't been fleeced by a casino slot machine? Although only Keno offers worse odds of winning, slots are by far the most popular casino game, responsible for 70 percent of gambling industry winnings -- so it's really no surprise they're ...

When it comes to saving money, the biggest hurdle for most folks is the lack of available cash after paying all of the bills every month. Fortunately, this seemingly impossible problem is easily fixed by paying yourself first -- not your creditors. ...

Many people dream about reaching the million-dollar net worth milestone, as if that lofty benchmark somehow guarantees a strife-free financial life. Preposterous! Net worth -- the value of your total assets minus your total liabilities -- is ...

While most folks consider mayonnaise to be a condiment, any half-way decent chef will tell you that, technically, it's a sauce. Beautiful in its simplicity, mayo is nothing more than egg yolks, oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. That's it. On the ...

Never assume that just because a person holds an MBA, he knows how to run a business; the road is littered with MBA-sporting CEOs who ignominiously drove their companies into the ground. Conversely, there are just as many CEOs -- guys like ...

If you're looking to earn the biggest annualized net return on your college investment, studies consistently show that your best bet is via a science- or math-based technical degree. With that in mind, one would assume science or math is the most ...

One of the more difficult jobs any parent faces is teaching their kids the value of a dollar. Sadly, some kids never learn that money doesn't grow on trees.
It may seem cruel, but parents who aren't afraid to let their kids spend their money on ...

It's often said that a house is our biggest investment, yet the primary function of any house is to simply provide us with a place to live. Yes, handsome gains can be had for those with good timing. However, as investments go, houses rarely match the ...

Taking on excessive debt -- and continuously spending more than you earn -- greatly reduces the wealth you can accumulate down the road. As a result, your options in the future become greatly diminished because you are essentially spending tomorrow's ...

Not all debt is bad. Debt is generally okay whenever it is used to buy something that may increase in value. For example, going into debt can make perfect sense when you're trying to start a business, or expand an existing one. Very few people can ...

Fiat-based paper currencies facilitate commerce by acting as a medium of exchange that's far preferable to bartering. Unfortunately, governments that wish to spend beyond their means can -- and do -- print fiat with impunity, thereby leading to ...

It's been said that failing to plan is planning to fail -- especially with respect to personal finances. And although you may be prepared, one of the biggest mistakes any household CEO can make is to abandon their financial plan during extended ...

There are plenty of food snobs out there who insist that it is sacrilegious to put ketchup on a hot dog. That assessment is echoed by The National Hot Dog Council which proclaims that ketchup should never be put on a hot dog by any one over the age ...

Although you'd never know it based upon the ways people treat time and money, the former is significantly more valuable than the latter because our life here on earth is finite. Yes, time is free; ironically, it's also priceless. That's because we ...

Risk and reward are inextricably intertwined. Of course, the richest rewards come to those who are willing to take the biggest risks. The oft-forgotten corollary to that strategy is that, by its very nature, high risk endeavors also have a greater ...

This is a guest post from Erin Baker who has several blogs including The Dog Ate My Wallet and, appropriately, 100 Words On. Check them both out when you get a chance!
The Holiday Giving Season is almost upon us. If your company sponsors a ...

A democracy can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the treasury, with the result ...

A wise man once said that excuses are tools of incompetence, only useful for building monuments of nothingness and bridges to nowhere. When it comes to personal finance, there are a countless number of excuses that people often use to explain why the ...

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. Ultimately, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your particular situation. This website accepts cash advertising, sponsorship, and other forms of compensation that may occasionally influence advertising content or topics of discussion.